


What do You See at the Depth?

by Elyla_Nicholson



Category: Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (Video Game)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Fantasy, Fate & Destiny, Father-Son Relationship, Feelings, Fights, Finding Destiny, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, I am not perfect in English so I will be thankful for advice in expressions and phrases usage, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship, New-X-Characters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Planning Adventures, Translation from Russian, english version, sorry for mistakes in using English, time paradox
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:14:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25226641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elyla_Nicholson/pseuds/Elyla_Nicholson
Summary: The child ran along the coast, but suddenly stopped. The light of the emerald died out in it, changing its color to the ominous scarlet in which the sky-clothed dressed, capturing the water surface in its veils. A huge flaming star was racing at the speed of light, swallowing everything around and leaving billowing ashes. It grew to gigantic proportions, capturing everything around. The seagulls rushed to meet the scarlet, claiming the rights of the emerald and pure tears of life, but they paid for it: the star singed their free wings, and they fell in a lump of ash into the now crimson water. And everything around has become ashes.
Relationships: Alice & Auntie Martha, Alisandra/Doloran (Ni no Kuni), Aranella & Drew, Aranella & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Aranella & Leander Aristides, Aranella & Roland Crane, Aranella & Tani, Auntie Martha & Aranella, Auntie Martha & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Batu & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Batu & Roland Crane, Batu & Tani (Ni no Kuni), Bracken Meadows & Aranella, Bracken Meadows & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Bracken Meadows & Roland Crane, Bracken Meadows & Zip, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum & Ferdinand, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum & Lofty, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum & Tani, Leander Aristides & Bracken Meadows, Leander Aristides & Roland Crane, Leander Aristides/Queen Nerea, Muriel & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Muriel & Tani, Otto Mausinger & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane & Doloran, Roland Crane & Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum, Roland Crane & Tani, Roland Crane & William Crane, Roland Crane/Roland's Wife
Kudos: 7





	1. The Dark Knight

**Author's Note:**

> 1) This fanfiction offers a new version of the events reading depicted in the plot of the Ni ni Kuni 2 game. Revenant Kingdom, from the very beginning. The young Prince Evan is called to found a new kingdom, where "everyone will live happily ever after." In this difficult journey, Evan and his friends have to survive the bitterness of losses and new encounters. Some of the main characters are experiencing fleeting clashes, but are these intersections of fate lines random, as they seem at first glance?
> 
> 2) The beginning and some episodes of this fan fiction have something in common with my earlier version of "From the Depth." But unlike the “From the Depths” version, this fan fiction offers an integral consistent narrative of the adventures of Evan and his friends with significant transformations. The version "From the Depth" is more of a collection of art sketches that did not satisfy me. I wanted to take up the full story, changing the canonical line and adding it with new adventures, events and locations.
> 
> 3) I'll post new chapters per one-two weeks on the weekend.  
> 4) The fanfiction has been written in Russian originally. So, this version is translation from Russian. I am from Ukraine and write in English not perfectly. Translating from Russian into English is difficult sometimes, so please do not judge strictly for the inaccuracies in the use of expressions and words in the English version. I would be very grateful to everyone who reads my fanfiction to leave recommendations for correcting language errors if you notice inaccuracies in the use of certain words and phrases or in word order. Let's help each other to improve our skills. Thank you!^_^

For the last time, Roland and Aranella exchanged glances - and with a signal nod to Nella's head, Roland grabbed Ewan, who was deeply thrilled, and threw himself into the dark abyss. He caught a glimpse at the last moment out of the corner of his eye, catching the rapid movement of a fragile figure in a delicate pink dress, rushing at the indomitable Dark Knight.

“Nella!” the desperate cry of the young defeated king pierced the darkness.

Then everything calmed down. Roland and Evan sank lower and lower into the abyss. It is not known how long this flight lasted, maybe five minutes, maybe only about thirty seconds, but Evan did not care. In these few seconds, gold pages unfolded before him, like a large illustrated book, a childhood in which a large number of vivid episodes of his memories, at different stages of his growing up and development, are connected with a tender and kind green-eyed girl, who took upbringing on her fragile and strong shoulders the future king - the rising hope of the people - replacing Evan's mother and sister in one person.

And now, the only creature close to Evan was left alone with the monster and the murderer of her father, left to be torn to pieces.

“Nella! Nella!” the cry of the boy turned to a hopeless sob.

The enveloping darkness of the abyss brought painful images and memories not only to Evan. Roland was silent. Evan was losing and, possibly, has already lost the closest person. But what about Roland? Before the eyes in darkness obsessive ghosts circled the wreckage of his ruined past, the ship of his life, broken on an iceberg of inexorable rock. These fragments, as well as the image of the world exploding on a volcano of human greed, from which Roland miraculously transferred here, scattered around in all directions, enveloped consciousness and did not allow breathing. And through this veil of ash appeared the shadow of a small figure, rushing to eat a ruthless monster. This figure, at some point, merged in Roland’s imagination with another figure, lost among the wreckage of a ruined world, scorched by a dead crimson of a sunny sunset ... And the last color of life radiated by her eyes went out...

A splash of water cleared the ashes of consciousness - Roland and Evan sailed to dry land.

“We made it,” Roland summed up, not taking his eyes off the water, as dark as the abyss they had just overcome. “Just...” Roland hesitated, looking at the heartbroken boy.

Evan jumped to his feet.

“N-Nella! We have to go back! We can still ...”the boy insisted through the rising tears.

“Calm down,” Roland insisted firmly, trying to keep his composure and ability to act soundly and reason. “If we go back, we`ll be captured for sure – and she`ll given her life for nothing.

"Given her ...? You mean she`s ...?” Evan looked bitterly imploringly at Roland.

“I ...” Roland turned away, unable to bear the gaze of Evan and some burning and painful feelings in his heart at the memory of a fragile girl who remained completely without protection, heroically sacrificing herself for Evan and the future people that Evan embodied for her. Roland struggled with a keen desire to return and snatch the life of a heroic girl from the clutches of a monster, but he realized that it was probably already late and nothing could be changed.

“I think we have to assume that,” Roland answered, not looking at Evan. “Come on. We need to keep moving.”

Roland moved decisively along the winding streets of the cave. Evan followed his new protector, barely forcing himself to move his legs, from tears of despair and powerlessness to change something.

“If only I were stronger... Perhaps ... Perhaps I could have saved her...” Evan complained, sobbing.

“We all have our roles to play, Evan. Yours wasn`t to fight. It was to escape. You have to survive this. Your kingdom needs you.”

* * *

Roland and Evan followed on, lost in thought. Evan accompanied his thoughts with changeable sobs and heavy sighs, Roland walked in silence, he always seemed unperturbed, and only one feature could betray his hard inner struggle - a shadow covering his face and a strained focused expression. Two feelings fought in his soul: a feeling of protest against global evil and mutual revenge, and humility with reality and the realization of the need to move forward, a violent aversion to death in the color of the years of a brave girl and the acceptance of the fact that, according to him, each person has a role, its purpose. Aranella acted as she _must_ have done for the good of a loved one - the king and the good of the people. But the purpose of the young girl is death?

The thoughts of the travelers were interrupted by a terrible roar. The Dark Knight appeared before them, as if from underground. Not allowing himself to come to his senses and realize what was happening at least for a moment, Roland ducked headlong into a fierce battle with the monster, but the longer the battle lasted, the monster did not weaken at all, and even more gained strength and began to spit out the red-blue flame. Suddenly, the monster stood on its hind legs, bent in an arc and sent a long fiery burning stream in the direction where Evan was in the shelter. Roland could not have predicted such a turn of the battle and accordingly defended the little king:

“Evan!” He exclaimed.

In an instant, a thin figure flew out of unknown direction, pushing Evan with a decisive movement, and took upon herself the whole blow of a fiery avalanche. For a moment, Roland caught the light outlines of Aranella’s image, then he went out, her body flew off to the side, falling helplessly onto the cold floor of the dungeon.

And here the contradictory feeling of protest and the arguments of reason, humility were resolved in one desperate, furious "No!"

“NO!!!” Roland cried out, and, not realizing the report in his actions, he took out a gun and with one bullet plunged the monster into the abyss. “Dammit”!

Roland ran up, with a bated breath, sensing the worst, knelt next to Evan in front of the injured servant. He took her by the shoulders and turned her upside down - and the whole colder inside: the body was streaked with terrible burns; the girl was unconscious. He took her wrist, but her pulse was almost impossible to feel. Aranella faded away ...

* * *

In the dense darkness of the Ding Dond Dell Castle dungeon, which seemed to have no end, with its monotonously painful atmosphere in the color scheme of sour green, yellow tones, a bright ray of sun suddenly penetrated, resembling a sharp sword in its shaped outline. The ray went through the mournful faces of travelers, the emaciated, scorched face of a girl whose fragile and helpless body now hung in Roland's arms, carrying Nella closer to the light, so that Evan said goodbye to her beloved nanny, sister, mother, teacher and defender all rolled into one. When a ray of light fell on Aranella's face, Roland seemed for a moment, it suddenly shone and became transparent despite his wounds, exhaustion and burns,. And the whole body became transparent and almost weightless, as if a girl with the last breath of her life gave herself to the sun's rays, merged with them. It seemed, literally just a moment - and it would melt in Roland's hands and dissolve with the light, and they would not have time to say goodbye to Nella. Subconsciously driven by a superstitious sensation, Roland quickened his pace. Overwhelmed by the grief of loss, Evan tried to keep up with his new elder friend, bending over Nella’s body and irrigating her with bitter tears, which seemed like clean streams rolling out of huge oceans.

Finally, here it is - the treasured exit from the dungeon, letting a beam of a sword through into the slushy and dank corridors of damp. Almost at the exit, the travelers stopped. Roland gently lowered Nella to the dark green slabs against the wall, Evan fell in tears to his knees next to her. Aranella opened her eyes and looked at the boy with maternal tenderness and boundless faith.

“Evan ...” Aranella said, making her last effort. “You will be the kindest king.”

When Aranella spoke, her face shone again - the ray of sunshine now shone brightly and hugged the whole figure of the girl. In her pink dress, which reflected the traces of the fateful battle with the Dark Knight, with burns, scratches on the delicate skin of her face and hands, Aranella reminded Roland of a wilted tulip that was strewed with tears by a golden-haired boy. Nella’s last words seemed to be transformed under a ray of sunshine, figuratively taking shape in consciousness into a quietly whispering and shimmering in the light stream - a memory stream, testament, and not only for Evan, but also for Roland.

“You have to be strong, Evan. You must ... build a kingdom. Where everyone ... can live happily ever after.”

Pain and bitterness burned his heart Roland for a second: he could not build his "kingdom". He lost everything; he could not save even what he already had. He lost loved ones, his world, his country, his life ... How much did he give to save what was entrusted to him? And this brave woman, in the prime of her beauty and youth, devoted her life to other people and, without hesitation, threw herself into an avalanche of fire.

Having uttered the last words, Aranella lost consciousness again. And probably forever.

“Nella, do not leave me! “ Evan shook the girl's shoulders, choking in tears. “Nella! NELLAAA !!” Evan cried out, heartbroken, so that Roland's heart sank. He lowered his head.

“I will do it! For you, Nella!” Evan cried, clinging to the immobile Aranella’s body. “I’ll build a kingdom where everyone will live happily ever after.”

Suddenly Roland came to his senses, hearing an echo of approaching steps in the distance in the depths of the dungeon. He grabbed Evan by the elbow, pulling him away from Aranella's body:

“Evan, we have to go!”

Roland was dragging Evan with all his might, who continually rested and turned in the direction where Aranella remained lying; at a distance it seemed as if she was sleeping peacefully.

“Nella!!!”

But finally, Evan gave up and followed weeping behind Roland, not realizing what was happening inside. In the end, Roland also cast a short glance toward Aranella. He was embraced with bitterness, longing and anger at the same time! No! It must not be! This is absurdity, injustice!

“But there's nothing to be done. If we come back, Evan is likely to be captured. And then it’s as if the sacrifice of Aranella would be wasted,” the rational principle in Roland maintained. He took a quick step, dragging behind him the lagging and stumbling Evan, who could not cope with grief.

Roland and Evan left the dungeon and were fifteen meters from the entrance to the underground channels of Ding Dong Dell. Roland's ears rang the incessant cry of the little defeated king, and at the same time before his eyes stood the image of his teacher, left there to die. How disgusting it was at heart! What to do? What if she still has a chance to survive and help Evan build the new kingdom? After all, they do not know whether she died for sure. She just lost consciousness. They did not have time to state certain death.

"No! You can’t come back! This is stupid!" the mind yelled.

Just a few hours ago, Roland lost his world and his loved ones. He did not know so far for certain dreams whether it everything that happens to him now: this strange magical world, a boy with cat ears - the defeated king, heroic Evan’s servant and teacher. The Dark Knight, magic... Roland was afraid to admit the fact that Aranella painfully reminded Roland of the one she would never return. He suddenly imagined as a small black-haired boy, helpless, in whose eyes froze and fear and terror at the sight of a huge flying stars and crimson sky. And **her** ghost, which was very reminiscent of the Aranella’s image. Actually, **she** became a ghost much earlier, being quite young. And he left them, listening to the voice of reason, but for the sake of their own good, out of love - and he lost them too.

And now he wanted to listen not to reason, but recklessness. He longed to do insanely. It doesn’t matter if it was, sleep and death - all that he has to participate in!

“Evan!” Roland stopped abruptly, grabbed Evan by the shoulders and turned to him.

“Roland?” Evan exclaimed in surprise, not understanding what was happening, blinded by grief and fatigue. He was disoriented and did not realize what was happening and where he was running with Roland.

“Evan, you have to run forward without looking back “ Roland said, looking straight in the boy’s eyes, commanding tone, emphasizing each word. “It is likely that they will attack you, so you have to fight yourself .” Here, take my gun and use the sword Aranella gave you. Don’t afraid and run forward, no matter what happens, do you understand me?"

“What? But, Roland, what about you? Where are you going?” Evan exclaimed with eyes wide with horror.

“I'll catch you up! But if not, in no case do not stop and do not come back for me. Your time has come. You will win! I believe in you,” Roland said, shaking Evan's shoulders as a sign of encouragement and once again looked deep into his eyes, then rushed to run back towards the cave.

“Roland!” He heard a plaintive exclamation.

“Run! Quickly!” Roland snapped furiously, without looking back.

Evan obeyed and ran on, not feeling his legs beneath him. His ears rang and buzzed, but he did not stop.

Meanwhile, Roland reached the entrance to the underground canals that he had just left with Evan. A group of four Mousekin guards jumped out of them, Roland instantly knocked them down with a few quick swings of the sword, deftly slipping from their blows - and the entrance was clean. 

“Wow, I came from a world where I forgot the art of fencing for four decades, and now with every battle the blow of the sword, accuracy and evasion are becoming easier and more skillful. And in the body is the lightness of a twenty-year-old youth. Maybe I'm still in a dream?” a strange extraneous thought flashed in Roland's head.

Roland rushed inside, fortunately, there was nobody and nothing left at the exit that would pose a serious threat. Roland hoped in his heart that Mausinger stopped trying to catch the fugitives and waved his hand at Evan, because, in fact, what threat could be a small naive boy who was left completely alone, besides, having lost the most important and strongest defender in the person of the faithful educators?

Speaking of the teacher. And here she is again ... Aranella remained lying in the same position in which she had been left - as if she lay down to rest, leaning on the moldy, slimy yellow-green walls . Roland had an extremely weak hope that she remained alive, but... Though they could bury Aranella with dignity. But they can't just leave her!

Roland sank down next to the body - the rays still fell on him, and it seemed as if Aranella was glowing, despite the burns. Roland did not know where it was from, but suddenly he had a flash of hope. Once again he took her wrist and ... It can’t be!

The pulse was weak, but there was! He leaned closer to Aranella's face and caught a faint breath.

“Alive!” He exclaimed out loud. It suddenly became easy for him to breathe, as if a suffocating bandage was removed from the throat, which squeezed the air passage in the lungs for a long time. But he urgently need to get out of here. Aranella needs emergency care. It is necessary to cool the burns with cold water, but for this the need to get to the source of water.

He thanked the sky, which made him return!

Roland glanced around and, grabbing Aranella lightly in his arms, headed out confidently, carrying the young woman to the light. Carrying Aranella and moving fast was easier than Roland imagined: despite her agility and physical endurance, the ability to defeat five warriors at a time, Aranella was small and rather light, like a child . But the only problem is the inability to fight, so he needs to go faster and carefully so as not to fall into the eyes of soldiers loitering in the suburbs.

When they were outside, sunlight fell on Aranella's face. She suddenly began to shake her head and, impulsively coughing, often breathing, recovering. Through force, she opened her eyes and looked at Roland.

“What ... what are you doing here, Mr. Crane?” She said, almost in a whisper, her voice stifled by coughing. “I beg you, I implore you for God's sake, leave me here and protect Evan, help him create a country where everyone will smile - this is the best thing you can do for me, Evan, and for my sake. With such a burden, you will all perish, and everything was in vain. Listen to the voice of reason.”

“No, Aranella,” Roland snapped emphatically. “At least once in my life I do not want to act according to the voice of reason. Let me at least once listen to the voice of the heart. I lost what was of the greatest value to me because of the voice of reason. You must become part of a great celebration, create a territory of joy, happiness, love, and share the joy and feat of Evan, and not serve as bones as his dead foundation. So, either we all get out of here together, or we die together. And Evan ... Evan can handle it. He is the king after all.”

Aranella was about to protest, but spent a little cue of all her strength and again lost consciousness. Roland felt the alarm, but no, he must not give up. An urgent need to catch Evan and find refuge, and such a refuge where they would be helped to cure and save Aranella.

But where is Evan?

Roland's gaze rested on a large mountain, dividing the territory of the kingdom of Ding Dong Dell from other unknown lands. And Evan walked along the trodden path, tired of grief, falling misfortunes, shocks, with his head bowed. Something made him turn around. The light emanating from the sun's disk, which froze over the tops of the gray-blue mountain teeth, surrounded with a halo of golden, like ripe wheat, hair of the young king - a young rising dawn of hope, which was to put an end to hostility in this world.


	2. Light at the End of the Tunnel

When Roland suddenly left Evan, warning that he might not return, the young defeated king was so devastated that it never occurred to him that Roland could return for Nella. It was not that he did not guess - Evan was simply not able to think of anything at all. When Aranella, having uttered the last words of the will, lost consciousness, her eyes went out, and her head fell helplessly to her chest, the whole world and everything that he did and was going to do lost all meaning for him. There was a noise in his head; a void replaced a pain in his heart like a big bottomless black hole. Moreover, Roland's parting words before leaving him made Evan decide that he would not return. For what reasons - no matter, he was not able to ponder over the reasons. Everything around him fell into such darkness with the death of Aranella that Evan could not have imagined anything else about Roland. Evan decided that he most likely had completely lost both Nella and Roland, and he had been left alone in the middle of this endless field. Completely alone...

Evan even forgot about the promise made by him to Nella - to build a new kingdom where everyone will live happily ever after. That made no sense.

His sad thoughts were interrupted with the attack of the guard, who caught Evan from the underground channels. An abandoned boy, who was always under protection, had to repulse the blow as a powerful king. However, all this time there were servants nearby, guards on his side, like Nella, Roland, and now he was alone. Evan slammed his eyes in dismay, looking around.

“Roland!” He exclaimed, hoping that maybe Roland could be somewhere behind and looked back, but he saw no one.

“What`s wrong, Your Highness? Where are your patrons? Miss _almighty_ Aranella was dead. Where is the new strange friend - the bodyguard? Has he left you? Poor-poor king,” the Mousekin guard wailed mockingly. “Well, don`t afraid, I will help you end your suffering and loneliness. You probably want this now, isn`t it?

Evan realized that there was no time to linger, no matter what happens, he still had nothing to lose: he drew his sword, trying to remember what Nella had taught him.

“You decided to play with me, kitty? Commendable!” the guard tripped up Evan. Evan stumbled over it and fell to the ground.

The guard laughed viciously, clutching at his stomach. Evan seized the opportunity, drew his sword, and, gathering his will, and strength into a fist, knocked the guard down. The guard fell, bumping his head, and lost consciousness.

Evan got up and looked at the dumped guard, shaking his head: he really had no time to be scared, tormented with grief. Perhaps the depression helped him not to be very confused and to defeat the Mousekin guard. Nella would have been glad for him - but she was gone. Now it makes no difference.

Hiding the sword in its sheath, Evan trudged on to the rocky hill, his head bowed. He wanted to reach a cave in a rock, take refuge in the dark, laying down on a stone, and just forget himself and probably die.

Having reached the foot of the mountains, Evan finally turned around and looked around at the valley and the kingdom seen in a kilometer, which made him an exile. Suddenly, the boy noticed a familiar, stately silhouette in a dark blue guard costume in the distance, he was approaching swiftly and rapidly. He carried something in the arms with familiar pink-lilac color. His heart accelerated its rhythm. When the dark blue silhouette approached, Evan spotted Roland, who carried in his arms...

“Nella!” Evan uttered a cry and ran towards Roland, stumbling. Tears flowed down his cheeks in hot streams again.

“Evan, I'm sorry to leave you. I hope you have done well without me.”

“Yes... yes... Don`t worry, everything is in order... I overcame...” Evan answered absentmindedly, Nella, who was still unconscious, absorbed all his attention, her head drooped helplessly on Roland’s shoulder. “Roland, she... she...” Evan stuttered, trying to stifle her tears, afraid to hear the worst.

Roland carefully lowered Nella to the grass and with a slight life-giving smile looked at the boy.

“She's alive, Evan.”

Evan was dumbfounded. For Evan, a bright light suddenly lit up in the dark, blood began to stir in his veins, he felt the sweetness of life and saw the beauty of sunset in the valley, the luxury of golden light. The soul and hope returned to him.

Suddenly Evan wrapped his arms around his eldest new friend that Roland had not expected at all.

“Roland, thank you for coming back for Nella!” Evan still could not cope with tears. His eyes fixed on Roland expressed such gratitude and boundless happiness, tears reminiscent of frozen sun glare.

Roland was touched with this sincere impulse of the boy, although it was unexpectedly and somehow even unusual for him. Roland ran a hand lightly over Evan's head. Suddenly, an image of a boy resembling Evan surfaced in his memory, and a painful flash burned for a moment, but then it passed when he turned his attention back to Evan. In Evan there was so much more naivety, childlike spontaneity, but at the same time, the sincerity that impressed Roland.

“Well, okay,” Roland laughed good-naturedly, pulling the boy away slightly. His face became serious again immediately when his eyes fell on Aranella.”

“Now is not the time for sentiment. Aranella is still **alive,** but she needs emergency care. Every minute of our confusion costs her life. She is in very bad condition, Evan.”

Roland bent over the young woman who still layed motionless, and only a barely perceptible breath and warmth of her hand testified to her being alive.

“Do we have water? She urgently needs to drink something. It is necessary to cool the burns.”

Evan's face darkened, the reality of Aranella's condition returning him from heaven to earth. Everything was much more complicated: it was necessary to fight for the life of dear Nella.

Nevertheless, Evan no longer felt the urge to cry. He was embraced by the determination to fight for the life of a loved one at all costs.

“Yes. Nella putwater flasks on the road with a weapon and **an arsenal ring** for you and me.”

“Oh no, I guess I dropped it in the underground channels when we rushed into the water from a height.”

“I have saved my equipment. Here,” Evan took a small tin flask from a small bag.

Roland moistened the girl's face and hands with a cloth, then brought the neck of the flask to her mouth. Aranella suddenly took a deep breath and coughed, but did not wake up.

“Nella!” Evan exclaimed and began to shake her shoulders, but she did not want to return to feelings. “Nella, please fight for life! For me!” He shouted.

“Evan,” Roland looked at Evan, his face seemed strained, “we urgently need to find a comfortable refuge - without normal conditions, care, wandering around the mountains and ravines without water and food, Aranella will die in our hands in less than an hour. If there were some good people who would shelter us at least for a short while and help take care of Aranella. This is the first time I am in this world and I do not navigate in the area, maybe you know someone who would agree to help us? Is there someone living nearby? Maybe there is an unsociable hotel here, or someone would not betray us to Mausinger, whom we could trust?”

Evan looked down.

“No, I am very ashamed, Roland, but I do not know anyone. All my childhood and my whole, life I almost never left the kingdom and I don’t know who lives and what is in the suburbs.”

Roland gritted his teeth: the situation was hopeless.

“Evan, I understand everything, but try to remember. Probably Aranella told you something…”

“I ... I ...” Evan hesitated, straining his memory. “Once our governess Pesha told me that she met an elderly woman in the vicinity who looked like a little bit mad, because the woman was talking about creatures with a strange name (I can`t remember), and even pointed out to them with the hand, but Persha saw only an empty space. However, this woman is very kind, despite the strangeness, and wise. She lives somewhere in a tiny house at the foot of a hill that borders other lands that do not belong to Ding Dong Dell.”

“So, this is not bad. Apparently, the woman’s house should be somewhere nearby,” Roland said. “We need to find it immediately. Evan, please stay with Aranella, I will go on reconnaissance.”

Evan looked anxiously at Roland. Now he really did not want to stay alone again with the weak Aranella, in a state of uncertainty and fear for her life, and in the darkness in the middle of the field - twilight took possession of the space with lightning speed and imperceptibly. After the shock experienced, Evan was restless and painful at heart.

This time, Roland was afraid to leave timid Evan and defenseless Aranella looking at the night, too. Maybe, that was very strange but he felt a sense of connectedness with them in his soul and a duty to protect them. Roland had no choice. He stood up, raising his sword lying on the grass.

Suddenly he heard a distinctly loud gurgling sound, reminiscent of the sound of a falling large drop on the surface of the water, but there was no water nearby.

“Did you hear it?” Roland asked Evan.

“Yes, but I thought it seemed to me.”

A strange creature jumped out of the grass: it looked like a big dark blue drop with a small head in the form of the top of a candle flame, with tiny arms and legs .Urging sounds were obtained with every movement of the body of this creature. The creature moved smoothly, as if stepping on water, and constantly bouncing, emitting light balls of sparks.

“HIGGG!!!” the creature “introduced itself” (or it seemed to Roland and Evan) as a thin ringing little voice.

Roland saw many unusual things during the day, especially considering the fact that he only appeared almost a day ago from the world of absolutely and excessively normal everyday things, but this gurgling ephemeral creature became the pinnacle of the cake of his impressions from the day’s adventures.

“It is so cute!” Evan exclaimed, holding out his hands to the "big blue drop", which jumped in his palm and squeak joyfully.

“Evan, cannot be this “blue drop” one of those creatures because of which the governess considered the woman who lives in the vicinity to be a little mad?” Roland put forward the assumption.

“Higg!” the “drop” answered, and, looking at Roland and Evan, it danced with her whole watery body.

“Apparently, the way it is. It seems that our new friend answers in the affirmative and fully understands us.”

Roland leaned toward the “drop” and spoke to her:

“Friend, be kind, take us to your mistress. We are in a difficult situation, and we really need to stop somewhere at least for the night,” Roland shook his head, it seemed to him that he had completely lost his mind: he was already talking with the “drop”. So, everything is already completely bad with him. Evan`s governess did not see this creature. However, why then does Evan see? After all, people get cranky alone - not immediately together.

“Hig-gi-gi!” the “drop” nodded its head energetically, making a high jump with each nod. Then the “drop” flew in the air and turned to Evan and Roland, calling for themselves.

At the very far foot of the mountain, Roland and Evan saw a point - the house of a woman who was close friends with wonderful creatures. The house was two hours away.

“But it is very, very far away!” Evan finally lost heart. Aranella will surely die, not to mention the fact that he and Roland were completely exhausted for a whole day without rest, food and water.

“Hi-gi-fu-fu!” Evan thought the “drop” laughed. It jumped up and froze in the air. Luminous circles began to appear around its body in a droplet-like movement, which, expanding, turned into water flows. The “drop” waved a hand - and streams formed in two large birds with blue transparent bodies that landed in front of Evan and Roland.

“How beautiful these birds are!” Evan exclaimed, running up to one of the birds that consisted of water, and stroked the feathers, but found that they were not wet, but to the touch resembled airy and light sea foam.

Roland had the encouraging feeling that the forces of nature and the world were on their side.

“My friend, you are saving us today. Thank you very much!” Evan breathed out admiringly.

“Let’s go, quickly!” Roland commanded. There was no time to wonder and marvel at the next miracles. They still had time, but they need to deliver Aranella to a safe and convenient place urgently and provide her with proper care and treatment.

Roland climbed onto the back of the bird, with one hand holding Aranella tightly, and with the other grasping the neck of a feathered friend. When Evan straddled the second bird, the “drop” brought the paw to his mouth and made a sound similar to something in between the whistle and the ringing of the bell - and the birds soared with one powerful push of large paws with bent nails at the ends into the black night sky, carrying travelers to the stars.

“Roland, look how beautiful it is!” What a pity that Nella is unconscious and cannot see it!” Evan exclaimed enthusiastically, lifting himself a little and raising his head to the sky, admiring the tints of distant stars that seemed from this height as if closer and smiled at them.

Roland also raised his eyes to the sky and looked at the night canvas covered with flickering diamonds, without blinking, bewitched for several seconds. Constellations began to take shape in islands, trees, forests, fields and small sheep. A lonely shepherd boy laid in the middle of the field looked at the stars. At the bottom of the land, there were hills, mountains and mountain ledges, which were superimposed on each other by overhanging ladders, like mushrooms on trees. Some ledges were so imperceptibly attached to thin rocky trunks, which were encircled by solid shrubs, that, it seemed, they just hung in the air, reaching for the sky and entwined with cloudy gray-white shawls. They formed bizarre islands of heaven, some of them even grew whole groves of trees. Roland did not see such natural architecture in his world. Obviously, this architectural ensemble was of natural origin, but it looked magical, as in the books of the fantasy genre, which his son liked to read at his leisure.

Roland's rainbow emotions were interrupted with Aranella's sudden cough. She trembled and swept her head in fever.

“Evan! Evan! He... alone...” she whispered in delirium.

“Hush, hush, it's alright, Aranella. Everything is all right with Evan, and we are there, we will save you.”

“There is nothing ... to breathe,” Aranella whispered, not recovering. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Roland's heart tightened with compassion. He really wanted to ease the physical governess’s agony.

“Aranella, fight for life a little more. Evan needs you. He really had no one else left,’ Roland said this more to himself, looking thoughtfully ahead of himself, recalling memories of something distant and lost forever...

Finally, the bird, making a pirouette in the air, quickly flew down to the ground and gently landed on the ground near a small stone house, the windows of which glowed with orange light and resembled the friendly bright eyes of a smiling creature.

Roland and Aranella were caught up by a bird with Evan.

“I want to believe that this house will turn out to be as welcoming as our new small friend who brought us here,” Evan looked hopefully and at the same time with excitement at the door: this house is the last hope for Nella's salvation.

Evan exchanged a glance with Roland, and, receiving a nod of reply, threw his hood over his head and knocked three times on the door. With a knock on the door, Evan's heart also pounded.

Inside, footsteps were heard, the door was half opened cautiously, an elderly lady's head peeped out from her, glasses pinned to her nose, fiery red, impressive for her age, gathered hair, covered with a white hat with curved edges. When her carefully studying gaze slid over Evan and Roland's face, and then stopped on the immovable girl in the Roland’s arms, whose skin on arms, neck was mottled with heavy burns and even charred in places, the door flew violently to the side, slamming against the wall.

“Oh my God!” She exclaimed, her eyes wide with horror as she looked at Aranella.

“Good evening, Madame. We ... Um ... I'm sorry to disturb you, but we would like to ...” Evan began politely, stammering with embarrassment, but the elderly lady did not listen to Evan.

“Go inside!“ She commanded, grabbing Evan on the sleeve and dragging into the house. “Quickly!” She vigorously beckoned Roland with the injured Aranella so that they would not stomp on the threshold.

A familiar friend – the “drop” who helped them find their way was waiting for them at the doorstep. Only now, Roland realized that he did not fly with them, but miraculously overtook them.

“HIG!” it squealed joyfully and danced at the sight of Evan and Roland.

“So this Raincoat brought you to me? So you can see the higgledies, can’t you?” the good-natured face of an elderly lady, who took a concentrated and preoccupied expression, for a second changed on happiness.”

“Whom? Higgledies?” Roland asked.

“Right.”

“Sorry, we can't tell you who we are, Missis, but,” Evan made another attempt to communicate normally with the old lady.

“Call me just Auntie Martha. I know who you are, but do not have time for introducing each other. Bring the girl to the room immediately – I will take you there. You can put her in my granddaughter's room - she is still out now. There the poor girl will be comfortable.”

Due to the critical situation in which they were all due to worries about Aranella, Evan and Roland could not overlook the house inside, but Roland only caught the dozens, or even more colorful “drops” that came into view — higgledies. They ran in the hallway, which served kitchen or a laboratory, where a huge cauldron was basking in the fire in the stove, next to it were these small creatures of a wide variety of blue, red, purple, yellow, pink, green colours.

A wooden door could be seen on the other side of the kitchen passer-by, which from afar seemed tiny, but high enough to pass through without touching the wall, from close position. Auntie Martha led the guests through this door into a narrow corridor with passages into three rooms and opened the door at the end.

“Here is t granddaughter’s room. Now she lives with her parents in the city and goes to school, and periodically spends her holidays with me."

The room was small, rather modest, but comfortable, arranged in a cute "girlish" style with pink lace curtains on the windows, a round carpet with pink-white patterns, an orange carved chest of drawers and the same color wardrobe, as well as a desk, more resembling a school desk covered with a knitted round tablecloth. On the table and windowsill were vases with dried pink, blue, and white wildflowers. Closer to the window was a single bed, covered with a blanket in white and pink flowered squares.

“Come in!” Aunt Martha ran to the bed, removing the bedspread. Roland carefully laid Aranella on the sheets.

Aranella suddenly began to cough and gasp.

“Nella!” Evan cried out plaintively, rushing forward to the bed. The agony of dear teacher inflicted untold mental and physical torment on him. Roland at one glance made it clear to Evan that he needs to maintain endurance and sobriety, which is more important in a situation where you need to help a loved one.

“Poor-poor child,” Auntie Martha shook her head with genuine compassion on her face. “Explain me briefly what happened to her.”

“They started a chase after us, we ran... Nella almost died ...” Evan began, but tears came to his eyes again - emotions and fatigue from the fallen shocks rolled over him, so he spoke very indistinctly.

“The girl received a severe burn as a result of fire flames sent by the Dark Knight hunting for Evan,” Roland came to the aid of the boy, translating the arrows to the essence of the problem.

“The Dark Knight?” Auntie Martha started up and moved backed. In her kind, friendly eyes, the dark lights of horror and anger danced at the same time. "The Dark Knight was hunting you?!”

Auntie Martha looked from Aranella to Evan, and then from Evan again to Aranella. The elderly lady looked very worried. She took a miniature blue bell from her apron’s pocket over the striped skirt of a figured dress and rang it.

A trio of higgledies flew into the room with Raincoat at the head.

“Bring water, towels, and herbal potions here vividly — you know which ones. And take your comrades with you - Herbalist, Hobgoblin and, and the Sounding Exorcist!” She commanded.

Higgledies squealed and nodded in response and galloped out of the room.

“It is urgent to free the injured girl from squeezing outerwear. Hey, wait a minute! Bring clean clothes, too!” Marta whistled, and a small “drop” head squeezed through the door slit. Nodding, she made ringed sound, and disappeared.

“Madame...”

“Auntie Martha,” the old lady corrected, not turning, being busy, straightening pillows and laying Aranella on comfortably.

“Auntie Martha,” Roland barely held back a slight smile, “we thank you for your help. It is hard to imagine what would happen if not for you.”

“We are very ashamed to disturb you.”

We will pay you for all days we stay,” Evan added Evan, clasping hands guiltily. “Nella ... she is the closest and dearest person to me. I will not survive if she dies.” Evan's voice contained barely restrained sobs again.

Auntie Martha raised her eyebrows strictly, when he heard about the money, but when Evan talked about Aranella, she softened and gently stroked Evan's shoulder.

“Your Highness, no money is needed - I will not accept it. You will stay here as much as necessary. This is not important for us now,” Martha sighed at the last words and turned back to Aranella.

“Tell me, what can we be useful for?” Roland asked.

Higgledies rushed into the room, carrying everything that Auntie Marta had asked to bring.

“Now, young people, I ask you to leave the room for a while, while I will work with the patient. You can breathe fresh air in the garden or put yourself in order and settle in the next room. Your room is the penultimate one, right after this one,” Auntie Martha answered, pulling the table to the bed and laying a bucket, towels, some bottles and medicines on it. “I'll call you a bit later.”

The room allocated for Evan and Roland contrasted with the granddaughter’s room ascetically simple and at the same time functional filling, without any decorations, except for the picture in the middle of the wall with a lonely snow-white tree. There were two single beds along opposite walls, between them in the central wall, there was a window hung with blue curtains, two chairs, a bedside table, also a small desk and a chest of drawers.

Having put himself in order, refreshed by clean water, Evan sat down on his bed, his head bowed in immeasurable longing from the uncertainty and mortal fatigue from everything that happened during the day. Evan could not believe that the events, beginning with the alleged coronation and its disruption, fighting, the escape and ending with the exile with the mystical Roland, whose origin was still not completely clear for Evan, and with beloved teacher Aranella on the verge of death… This one day seemed to Evan endless.

Well, what about Roland, who, besides being in a magical world, where miracles do not lend themselves to any rational explanation according to the laws of logic or according to scientific hypothetical constructions, managed to gain youth (physical), but lose everything valuable for him and the whole world - in one day? Roland imagined what would have happened if he had nevertheless returned to his world and told somebody what he had experienced that day. He would certainly had been sent to a psychiatric hospital.


	3. One Infinity-Sized Summit

To sit in his office for half a day, preparing documentation and a report for the summit to resolve relations between the United States and the aggressor country (as well as their allies from different sides). Sammit was appointed at 21:00. After finishing and running through the papers several times, Roland thought that he had four whole hours left before the summit — rare hours in his busy schedule, when he barely found time just to think about something of his own. The US president was worried about the upcoming summit, as its results were supposed to prevent a terrible world catastrophe, which gradually matured over several decades, developing, like a snowball, gradually from cultural and ethnic differences, into the Cold War, and then from the Cold War into undisguised enmity and open threats. The first beginnings of disagreement between the United States and the aggressor country, which did not then portend disasters of such magnitude, arose under the former leaders of states, and the enmity initiative came from both sides. Roland was young then and studied at the university at the political science faculty, then he gained success thanks to his wit, industriousness, diligence, and enterprise and he quickly made his way to parliament. Already at the first steps of the career ladder, he presented impressive, detailed reform projects that could increase significantly the effectiveness of commercial, industrial, socio-economic and cultural cooperation between the United States and allied countries. This project was supposed to use the achievements of scientific, and intellectual activity around the world, while reducing the percentage of environmental pollution, and most importantly - to unite people of all nationalities in the name of friendship and harmonious existence. Roland sincerely believed in this seemingly utopian idea, not blindly, but with full understanding that it was an ideal, but an ideal that should be before eyes, in the name of which everyone must go into politics. Roland always told with a smile when he was accused of utopianism and naivety, that he did not essentially say anything new, but that the rulers who achieved real success in the history and in which countries really flourished went ideally into politics and worked for peace and the benefits of every citizen, if possible. Yes, they did not achieve utopia (which is silly to achieve in principle), but they actively worked for the interests of people and devoted every day of their calling to improve the existing situation. Otherwise, what the matter go to politics at all? However, Roland did not go into empty journalistic rhetoric, but throughout most of his life developed detailed plans for reforms and the socio-economic system. Even though his ideas were viewed with disdain and even hostility, he felt in his heart that one day his time would come. He boldly walked forward. Of course, in his youth he was often tempted to dissolve among the interests of his colleagues, most of whom went into politics solely for the sake of profit. One day, his colleague smiled condescendingly and patted Roland on the shoulder when he shared his youthful aspirations and ideas:

“Hey, bro, you made me laugh to death!” he burst out laughing to tears, clutching his stomach. “I thought you were joking! Do you really think that all these people from politics are working for the benefit of some crazy grandmother with cats, who is always crying because of a small pension or even for the sake of unleashing the potential of young forces like you? This one with such a puffed-up belly and cheeks “ the deputy comically puffed out his cheeks “who is sitting in parliament with a thoughtful look at his workplace. At this time under the table, secretly, like a pupil at school, he is searching on the Internet for a tour by personal helicopter to Seychelles with white sand in a luxurious villa with gold toilets on the ocean and a personal chef? Do you think he is concerned about the fate of the people or the future generation, who will have nothing to breath, because the air and the earth will be filled with dirt and garbage? He is only interested in the state of taste of the sauce for baked meat, which will be served in the Seychelles when he safely arrives there with his little wife and three chubby kids. Just do not think that I judge him. In my opinion, this is natural. What, democracy? In the USA? Hmm, nice title, it fits, I agree. The USA is a country of human freedoms, interests, and rights above all of course. Is not it? But do they not apply to the ordinary deputy?” a colleague deputy sarcastically remarked, inquisitively peering into Roland's face. “Listen, my friend, you are still very young, but I want to give you advice. You have a lot of potential, you are talented and persistent - you will succeed. Just remember: politics needs their own people. Do you understand? Own people. Either you achieve success like everyone else and receive a considerable income thanks to your work, or... you will be removed... Heh. Nevertheless, nothing bad will happen with you, don’t worry. I am seeing that you will succeed, without fail. Then all your “world headache” will be cured in an instant.

Roland was disappointed, but he overcame the crisis and decided to work hard and promote his project at any cost, even at the cost of his own life.

At 48 years old, he became a President. Despite the years spent in the detailed development of his political project, he faced even more problems in the presidential chair. In addition, relations between countries with his coming to power have become extremely heated. He did not spare himself, made any concessions that were possible in order to cool the raging flames. However, the aggressor country has thrown a challenge - merciless, uncompromising.

That day was supposed to solve everything. Roland was going with excitement and great hope, because he laid out everything, he had, all his life on the conflict settlement project, having already sacrificed at first one dear loved one, and on that day the second, who was withering and suffering without him alone in the hospital.

There were four hours left. Roland went to the window, in which he saw the ghostly reflection of a slender elderly man with gray strands in dark hair, some impenetrable darkness froze in his invariably brown eyes, his face became coarse old and looked exhausted: “Has 28 years passed? It feels like yesterday I peered into my reflection and saw an attractive handsome young man with tarry hair and a passionate look. I was 20. Where have these years gone? It seems that I simply lost them, crossed them out, along with the dearest people,” Roland whispered, looking directly into the eyes of the most obvious evidence - for the first time in many years, he was horrified: he lost everything, and he couldn’t return the very essential that was his life. No, he is wrong. He has something else, or rather, some.

It was winter, 5:00 p.m. It got dark quickly. For a long time, he looked into the dark canvas of the sky, where not a single star looked through. For a moment, it seemed to him that something had flashed in the sky in red flare. It was the light of a parked car that imprinted on the window glass of the president’s office. This light served as a signal to him: he decided to visit hospital.

Roland went to the table and picked up the telephone.

“Catherine, please give me the car now - I need to leave earlier on business”

“But, Mr. President, have you forgotten ...” a womanish voice melodious sounded with an admixture of sweetness, which made Roland grimace again.

“You mean, I forgot about the meeting of states in the face of the Third World War? Are you joking?” Roland could not restrain the irritation caused in part by the secretary's meticulous and at the same time stupid remarks, but mostly by rolling emotions both national and personal character. Nevertheless, he tried to pull himself together. “I repeat: I will leave earlier in order to call on my own urgent matters along the way - this will not take much time. Then I go to the designated place for negotiations immediately.

“Good, Mr. Crane, as you order,” the female voice made a concession.

“That's fine,” Roland hung up and began to quickly pull files onto important papers and put papers in folders. Then he put the documents in folders into a briefcase, fastened it, and headed for the exit, when the phone rang again. Roland expected to be notified that the car was ready.

"I'm listening."

“Mr. Crane, I am very sorry, but you will have to postpone all your affairs and go to the summit." A limousine has been filed, ” the familiar meticulous female voice reported categorically politely.

“Damn it, what's the problem?” Roland burst out, feeling that everything was bubbling inside him. His hands began to shake. The closer the summit was in time, the more he was worried. Now, more than ever, he felt it with his heart, but could not explain the reason; he needed to see his son! For the first time, probably for a few months! Really now, when he had a rare well-deserved four hours, he can not give them to his own son? It seemed to him that a meeting with his son was for him a matter of life and death right now!

"I'm really sorry, Mr. President," in the voice of the secretary he heard the notes of sincere sympathy. He was ashamed of his harsh tone. He almost never allowed to get out of control and even more so to pour out his anger on others. “but the road of takes an hour and a half, and in the city, especially in the area of the bridge, traffic jam, slowing down traffic for two hours. If you do not leave now, then you will certainly be late.

“Well, I understand, I'm sorry,” Roland sighed. "I go".

After a moment's thought, he picked up the phone for the third time and dialed the number.

"Good evening? Is it Central City Hospital No. 1. Surgical department? Please invite Mrs. Ashley to the telephone."

"Wait one minute."

It was rustled inside the phone, and then the voice of an elderly lady came.

“Mrs. Ashley by the apparat, I'm listening to you.”

“Mrs. Ashley, this is Roland Crane.”

"Ah, Mr. Crane! Glad to hear from you!" there was a loud enthusiastic voice. “ Why are you calling on a landline phone? You have my mobile number."

Roland did not really know why he called from a landline phone.

"It so happened, sorry for the inconvenience."

“Well, what are you? Everything is all right. What can I do for you?"

“I wanted to ... wanted to know how Will is?”

“The boy is as usual. However, lately he has been more closed in himself; he does not tear himself away from the TV screen when it shows you. He often asks about you ... Maybe you want to talk with him personally and find out how he is doing.”

The words of the head of the surgical department went through the heart like a scalpel blade.

“No, no, not worth it...” Roland hesitated. “That is, I wanted to say that I urgently need to go on state affairs. I'll be after ... I'll pick you up tomorrow.”

“As you please, sir.”

“But I will have a big request for you. Please, give a series of books by C. S. Lewis _The_ _Chronicles of Narnia_ to Will from me. I will immediately order through my secretary to buy and deliver the book to the hospital. I have long promised my son to buy these books. Tell that I...”Roland hesitated again, afraid of the word, not knowing why, it was pronounced so painfully difficult, “I love him.”

“Good, Mr. Crane, don't worry. We will fulfill your request. You can rely on us. Goodbye!” a soft and good-natured voice answered.

“Goodbye…”

Roland froze with a pipe in his hands, from which came short repeating beeps, which served as an accompaniment to the melody of emptiness in the soul.


End file.
